Pro-Palestine protesters dragged out of talk with Israeli ambassador

• UCLU Friends of Palestine denounce International Relations Soc event as ‘tacit endorsement of war crimes’
• Security operation sees Metropolitan Police on campus and fleet of Israeli security officials in lecture theatre
• Two pro-Palestine protesters dragged out of event after shouting at Taub for Israel’s involvement in Gaza war this summer. 

UCL security this evening expelled two pro-Palestine protesters from campus for disrupting a talk with Israeli ambassador Daniel Taub.

The pair stood up and shouted at Taub for 5 minutes for sponsoring a “terrorist regime” and supporting Israel’s actions in the Gaza war this summer.

Several attendees were frustrated and asked the activists to ‘shut up’ – Ambassador Taub, an alumnus of UCL, remained calm and appeared to chuckle at them.

Fliers distributed by Friends of Palestine before the event

Following the scuffle, talk chair and UCL Philosophy professor Daniel Rothschild jokingly reminded students to ask questions “after the ambassador’s speech”.

He went on to say: “I think it’s reasonable to invite any nation’s representative—however much you might condemn their country’s actions—to a forum which allows free questioning.”

Friends of Palestine President said IR Soc’s invitation was ‘tacit endorsement of war crimes’

The event began with controversy as thirty UCLU Friends of Palestine Society members staged a protest outside Bedford Way, where the talk was held.

The hot fuzz on campus before the event